The present invention relates to a dispensing device for dispensing scents into the environment.
Devices are currently available for dispensing a single scent into a room and in automobiles. Examples of such devices include GLADE PLUG INS(copyright) plug in room fresheners manufactured by S.C. Johnson.
Devices capable of dispensing a single scent are also described in the patent literature. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,549,250 and 4,714,984, issued to Spector describe a night light assembly which plugs into an electrical wall outlet. The assembly, when switched on, produces low-level illumination and at the same time exudes an aromatic vapor. The night light assemblies described in these patents also include a picture on the cover thereof of an object, such as a flower, possessing a characteristic odor, to which the fragrance of the aromatic vapor is thematically related.
Devices that are only capable of dispensing a single scent suffer from the drawback that, after a relatively brief period of time, people become used to the scent and do not tend to notice it as much as when the device is first activated. In other words, xe2x80x9cfragrance fatiguexe2x80x9d can occur whereby a person""s olfactory organ becomes xe2x80x9csaturatedxe2x80x9d with a particular smell or fragrance and the individual becomes insensitive to the presence of the particular fragrance.
Therefore, some efforts have been directed toward developing devices capable of emitting a single scent that address the problem of fragrance fatigue. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,434 issued to Spector discloses an aroma-generating unit that is adapted to periodically discharge into the atmosphere bursts of aromatic vapor. The non-aromatic intervals between the bursts are said to have a duration sufficient to avoid densensitizing the olfactory response of those exposed to the unit. The unit makes use of replaceable cartridges having a mat impregnated with an aroma-producing liquid. The unit has an electrical heater that heats air in a confined chamber, and the heat generated causes the air to expand to create a pressure differential forcing the hot air through the mat. The cartridge is provided with a seal in the form of a detachable metal or plastic clip that fits over the holes in the sheets covering the impregnated mats so that the cartridge, when stored, is sealed to prevent the loss of liquid. The user of the unit may be provided with a stack of sealed cartridges, each of which may have mats impregnated with a different aroma-producing liquid. The user, therefore, may select a fragrance appropriate to the room or to a given occasion.
Other efforts have been made to develop devices that are capable of emitting multiple scents. A number of patents have been directed to devices that are capable of emitting multiple scents.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,629,604 issued to Spector, while not addressing the issue of fragrance fatigue, is directed to a multi-aroma cartridge player. The multi-aroma cartridge player uses a cartridge that comprises a planar array that forms a multi-section framework. Each section of the framework comprises a pad of absorbent material which is impregnated by a liquid fragrance that are said to differ from those of the other sections of the cartridge. The absorbent materials each have a central zone that is exposed. The aroma cartridge player comprises an individual electric heater for each frame assembly containing an individual scent. The selection of the aromas to be played may be effected manually, electronically, or it may be synchronized to follow the scenes of a video tape or movie film presentation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,805,768 entitled xe2x80x9cAroma Therapy Diffuserxe2x80x9d issued to Schwartz, et al. and assigned to Bunny Moon Enterprises of Van Nuys, Calif. describes an aroma therapy diffuser which offers the user the ability to pre-select a variety of different aromas to be introduced into an environment at pre-selected time intervals. The device includes a tray with a plurality of receptacles for receiving aromatic materials arranged along the periphery of the tray and a means for heating a selected receptacle and the material contained therein. The apparatus also includes a timer and a means for rotating the receptacles about the heating means to expose a selected receptacle to the environment for a pre-selected time period. The apparatus further includes a lid with an opening which exposes selected aromatic material so the aroma released by the heated aromatic material emanates into the environment. The remaining aromatic materials which are not exposed to the heating means are sealed to prevent evaporation.
The device described in the Schwartz, et al. patent, however, apparently contemplates that upon using the scents in the tray, the receptacles for the scents will be cleaned out, and new scents will be placed therein. This has the drawback that it is not convenient for a user to clean and replace the scents. Also, the device currently in the marketplace uses a two hour interval which allows the user""s nose to become accustomed to the scent, allowing the experience to fade into the background. The device described in the Schwartz, et al. patent also provides a means for sealing the plurality of receptacles except for one receptacle so that the aromatic materials in the tray do not evaporate. However, the means for sealing the receptacle comprises a lid that remains in the device when the tray of scents is removed. This means is subject to the disadvantage that the aromatic material in the receptacles will not be sealed and will evaporate when the tray is removed. Thus, the tray cannot be removed and later used without the aromatic materials evaporating.
Another device capable of emitting multiple scents is described in PCT Publication WO 97/02076 and Canadian Patent Application 2,222,838, both entitled xe2x80x9cDevice and Process for Delivering Substances for Dispersal in the Airxe2x80x9d. The device comprises a flat disc through which pass a number of separate radially oriented channels that receive substances intended for dispersal. Each of the channels has one inlet aperture and one outlet aperture. The channels allow the passage of a gas stream introduced via the inlet aperture. The odoriferous substances, which may be partly the same or all different, are introduced into the channels, or the odoriferous substances are introduced in gas tight reservoirs which are placed in the channels wherein each reservoir releases the individual odoriferous substance only when it is to be dispersed.
The device and cartridge described in PCT Publication WO 97/02076, however, suffers from the drawback that each odoriferous substances are also subject to evaporation after initial use because after rupture of the apertures and/or reservoir by the first use of one specific channel will allow unrestricted and uncontrolled, respectively, passage of an air stream and uncontrolled flow of the odoriferous substance from the channel.
Another device capable of emitting multiple scents is described in PCT Publication WO 00/121143 entitled xe2x80x9cOdor Dispensing Device and Odor Dispensing Cartridgexe2x80x9d. The odor dispensing device described in PCT Publication WO 00/121143 comprises a housing and a disc shaped dispensing cartridge adapted to move around its rotation axis and having a plurality of discrete radically arranged compartments. The cartridge has a body with compartments separated by walls. The compartments are tightly closed and opened by individual covers. The odor dispensing device is said to utilize any mechanical means, such as a fan to emit the odors. While the description of the odor dispensing device and cartridge in PCT Publication WO 00/121143 attempts to distinguish the technology therein as being more simple to manufacture than the technology in a prior publication, it is still a complicated arrangement. While PCT Publication WO 00/121143 describes the composition of the scent materials, it describes nothing about the type of scents that can be placed therein.
There are drawbacks associated with the devices described in all of the foregoing patent publications. None of the devices are believed to describe a system and method for dispensing multiple scents into the environment which enables the scent-containing component of the system to be taken out of the device, replaced with another scent-containing component, and later re-used or replayed without either subjecting the scents to evaporation when the scent containing component is removed, or providing a complicated arrangement for closing the scents from the environment. None of the devices are believed to describe a system and method for dispensing multiple scents into the environment in which the multiple scents on a given scent containing article are related to each other so as to share a common scent theme or sensory experience. Improvements in the controls of multiple scent dispensers are also possible.
Thus, a need exists for a system for dispensing multiple scents that enables the scent-containing component of the system to be taken out of the device, replaced with another scent-containing component, and later re-used or replayed without either subjecting the scents to evaporation when the scent containing component is removed, or providing a complicated arrangement for closing the scents from the environment. A need also exists for a dispensing device for dispensing multiple scents sequentially into the environment that permits the scents in the device to be more conveniently replenished.
In addition, a need exists for a system for dispensing multiple scents that provides scents which are compatible with the system, and with each other, as opposed to a device which requires a user to purchase different perfume oils, which may or may not be compatible, and pour or otherwise place these perfume oils into a device.
A need also exists for a system for dispensing multiple scents which permits the user to control, and if desired vary, the time frequency or period for which each scent is emitted.
The present invention will become more readily apparent when considered in reference to the following description and when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
This invention relates to dispensing scents into the environment. In several embodiments, this invention relates to systems or methods, and/or devices or articles for dispensing multiple scents into the environment. Several non-limiting embodiments are described herein, as are several components of the system, each of which may constitute an invention in its own right or together with other components.
In one embodiment, the system for dispensing scents into the environment includes an apparatus, such as a dispensing device and an article of manufacture containing one or more scents or aromatic materials for use in conjunction with the dispensing device. In preferred versions of this embodiment, the scent-containing article of manufacture is able to be removed from the device, replaced with another scent-containing article of manufacture, and later re-used or replayed without either subjecting the scents to evaporation when the scent-containing article of manufacture is removed, and without providing a complicated arrangement for closing the scents from the environment.
The dispensing device can be any device that is capable of dispensing scents or aromatic materials that are either contained in or on the dispensing device, or contained in or on an article of manufacture that is intended to be used in conjunction with the dispensing device. The dispensing device may contain a component for activating the scents or aromatic materials from their xe2x80x9crestingxe2x80x9d state to an activated state. Such a component may include, but is not limited to a component that volatilizes or heats the scents or aromatic materials. The dispensing device may also contain a component, such as a fan, for diffusing or transporting the aromatic materials into the environment or atmosphere.
The dispensing device may have a number of additional features, which include, but are not limited to one or more of the following features, and other features. If a scent-containing article of manufacture is used in conjunction with the dispensing device, the dispensing device may have a mechanism for locking and unlocking the scent-containing article of manufacture. The dispensing device may have an emission program which is designed to minimize xe2x80x9cfragrance fatiguexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9chabituationxe2x80x9d. Improved controls can also be provided.
The scent-containing article of manufacture may be in any suitable form. The article of manufacture may have a configuration which is: disc-shaped, oval, parallelpiped-shaped, rectangular, cube-shaped, cuboid-shaped, cylindrical-shaped, pyramid-shaped, spherical-shaped, irregularly-shaped, or which has some other configuration. In one embodiment, the article of manufacture is a cartridge.
In one aspect of the invention, the article of manufacture is removable from the dispensing device and reusable after it has been removed from the dispensing device. In order to make the article of manufacture is reusable, the scents contained therein or thereon may be sealed when the article is removed from the dispensing device to minimize evaporation of the scents between uses of the scent-containing article. In one non-limiting embodiment, the article of manufacture may have a closed structure with a single opening therein for the emission of scents. In another aspect, the article may comprise multiple scent-containing receptacles. These multiple scent-containing receptacles may be closed with a single sealing mechanism that seals the receptacles when the article is not in use. In another aspect of the invention, the article comprises a locking mechanism which locks the article when it is removed from the device. In one aspect of such an embodiment, the locking mechanism may prevent access to the scents or aromatic materials when the article is outside the device. In this last aspect, the article may be completely free of openable elements such as doors and the like for accessing the aromatic materials to provide a tamper-proof article.
In another aspect of the invention, the article of manufacture may contain multiple scents that are related to each other. The scents can be related to each other in a manner which is not dependent on some other media, and/or are not designed to be used simultaneously with other media for the relationship between the scents. Any number of the scents can be related to each other in such a manner. For example, at least half of the scents in the article of manufacture can be related to each other, or all of the scents in the article of manufacture can be related to each other. In one variation of this aspect of the invention, the scents are related to each other and selected from a group of types of scents. In another variation of this aspect of the invention, certain of the scents, or all the scents, can be related to each other in that they share a common theme.
In any of the embodiments described herein, the article of manufacture may be modified so that it is a stand-alone unit which is capable of dispensing scents without a dispensing device.
The present invention may also include novel methods and kits. Such methods include, but are not limited to methods of providing multiple scent emitting articles each of which has scents therein or thereon that are related, as well as methods of providing scent-containing articles to consumers and/or institutions which provide the ability to xe2x80x9ccustomizexe2x80x9d the scents for the user.
Preferably, the components of the system are in a package in association with a set of instructions that direct the consumer how to use, e.g., the diffuser and/or the cartridges correctly, to obtain the desirable olfactory, psychological and/or physiological effects. It is preferable that the apparatus is operated in accordance with the instructions for use, to ensure that the consumer knows what benefits can be achieved, and how best to obtain these benefits. As used herein, the phrase xe2x80x9cin association withxe2x80x9d means that the instructions are either printed directly on the components themselves and/or on their packages, or presented in a different manner including, but not limited to, a videotape, a brochure, print advertisement, electronic advertisement, and/or verbal communication, so as to communicate the set of instructions to a consumer of the article of manufacture. It is important that the instructions be simple and clear. The use of pictures and/or icons within the instructions may be desirable.
In any of the embodiments described herein, the article of manufacture may be configured partially, or completely for recycling.
Numerous other embodiments are also possible, including, but not limited to those described in the following detailed description.